They Are Billions: The Guilty Pleasure of Blasting Thousands of Zombies with Snipers

One city, millions of dead

In They Are Billions, your mission is simple: build a human colony and survive wave after wave of infected in a steampunk world where civilization is little more than a rusted memory. The premise sounds simple, but the game constantly reminds you that any mistake, no matter how small, can cost you the entire run.

Every match starts with a handful of colonists, four rangers, and a lot of land to explore. The first minutes are tense, but nothing compared to what comes next. As you progress, your population grows, the map swarms with enemies, and your economic decisions get increasingly cruel.

Snipers: your best friends (and the only ones that matter)

There’s no way around it: snipers are the absolute kings of They Are Billions. It doesn’t matter if you have a hundred soldiers or maxed-out Tesla towers; nothing beats the precision, range, and peace of mind that snipers bring. Hearing that crisp click as they drop zombies one by one is pure therapy.

The other units… well, they’re mostly decorative. Soldiers make too much noise and die fast, rangers are only useful in the early days, and Lucifers or Shocks tend to be more trouble than help. Only three units really stand out: Snipers, Thanatos, and Titans. With them you win; without them you cry.

The dreaded jump: masonry and an economy on the edge

On higher difficulties, They Are Billions becomes a nonstop exam in resource management. One of the most stressful moments in the game is transitioning to the Stone Workshop and building your sniper army. This is where you find out if you’ll survive… or if your colonists will end up as zombie buffet.

Gold is scarce, infected numbers rise, and the dilemma is brutal: expand a bit more for resources or dig in and pray? That balance between investment, defense, and economic growth is what gives the game so much flavor.

Mutants: the bosses that break your soul

Ah, the Mutants. Those huge, fast brutes eager to smash half your colony in 20 seconds. They’re easily one of the biggest pains in the game, but they also add tension and variety.

You can’t afford to make too much noise with your snipers or they’ll charge you like freight trains. Their presence forces you to play smart and control your exploration pace, which adds a very interesting strategic layer.

A beautiful… and ruthless game

Visually, the game is surprisingly charming. The post-apocalyptic steampunk style is full of details: gears, steam, warm lights, and that mix of industrial and decayed atmosphere that suits it perfectly. The music keeps steady tension, and the sound of incoming waves can make your skin crawl.

High replayability, but repetitive

They Are Billions has something hypnotic about it. Each run feels like a new attempt at the “perfect run.” You can lose a colony after an hour and a half of progress and still hit Retry with rage and hope. Still, the formula eventually repeats itself: the loop of expanding, defending, and enduring becomes predictable.

Even so, thanks to the campaign mode, custom maps, and weekly community challenges, the game stays alive even years after release.

Final verdict

They Are Billions is a gem for fans of pure strategy. It’s hard, it’s unforgiving, but it offers one of the most satisfying feelings you can have: surviving against all odds as thousands of zombies crash against your walls.

Buy it on sale, load up on patience, and enjoy watching millions of undead fall to your snipers. Just don’t be surprised if after 50 hours you feel like you’ve seen it all.

The good:

• Smart difficulty design and economic progression
• Snipers and the sound of their shots (sublime)
• The apocalyptic steampunk setting

The bad:

• Repetitive in the long run
• Some units are completely useless
• Mutants can ruin an hour-long run in seconds